


rest your head

by xladysaya



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Last two people on earth au, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-21 07:03:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20689457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xladysaya/pseuds/xladysaya
Summary: "I don't mean to be that guy, but do you think this is the universe's weird way of saying we're soulmates?"It's not something that would've ever crossed Tsukishima's mind, but at this point, he's running out of theories.When he woke up all alone in the world one day, he never expected to run into someone like Kuroo.





	rest your head

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! It feels good to post a oneshot again ^^ It's the nerd in me, but it makes me so happy that I'm so close to 100 fics! It's been over 4 years but I'm finally almost there ffff
> 
> This fic is a little experimental and weird, but I'm proud of it! Sorry for any typos, I'm being truly chaotic with this one and didn't give it to a beta ;)
> 
> Enjoy!

He sees him again in Paris, and Kei finally admits to himself that his hypothesis might be correct.

It's the only time he's ever wanted to be wrong.

He sighs as he scratches France off his list of potential safe zones, and effectively resigns himself to his fate.

At least he gets to leave.

Gradually, Kei rises to his feet from the cafe chair he's been sitting at, his gaze turned upwards towards the sky.

As much as he's always wanted to go to France, he's spent enough time there to know it's simply not for him. Maybe the countryside would be better, far from the bright lights which attract tourists like moths, or the beacon that is the Eiffel Tower. The streets make him feel too lost, even without the need to speak the language or look at directories.

It's just too much. It's all been too much. Even wandering around with no destination or responsibility has been stressing him out. At a certain point, the beautiful scenery and cityscape had done nothing for him anymore, and he became privy to the more unsightly aspects of it after the allure and novelty wore away.

It honestly smells vaguely like piss. And that's no offense to the French, he's been in enough downtowns all over the world for him to know it just comes with the territory. The sights are lovely though, and in the evenings the lamposts and overhanging lights make the roads feel artistic in a way he'll never be able to describe.

Like out of an artbook, the shadows and deep browns mingle together in perfect harmony, untainted by humans walking through the desolate scene. It's just static, interrupted only by the scuff of his shoes on the concrete.

It's the only thing Kei has been able to appreciate since he woke up alone one morning. No parents, no...anyone. No signs of disaster or aliens or horror.

Even now, walking through _Paris_, he's not as put off as he should be. The lights never went off. The lanterns and shop windows are a-glow, and they only ever turn off in the late hours of the night, as if everything in the world is still obeying the constraints of time.

Normal business hours.

It's more annoying than anything; Kei hates what he can't understand.

But given the circumstances, he's handled it pretty well. He doesn't think he's lost his mind, unless his unintentional stalker is simply a hallucination.

Kei doubts it.

But in the beginning, he kept waiting for it, to see zombies or other lost humans left behind after some kind of rapture....to see the edges of his mind begin to wear away into nothingness as his legs gave out from loss of hope or purpose.

But there was nothing. His motivation to explore had been enough to keep him marching on.

If he doesn't...well, then there really will be nothing for him.

Nothing that is, except Kuroo Tetsurou.

Kuroo Tetsurou is the exception in all this, and out of all the other billions of humans he could've been saddled with, Kei thinks he's the most infuriating.

It also means his one of many hundreds of theories is also wrong, but he's grateful he doesn't have to repopulate the Earth with the likes of someone like _him_.

Needless to say, he and Kuroo hadn't gotten off on the right foot.

"Son of a…" Kei sighs as he keeps walking. He keeps his gaze angled toward the Eiffel Tower, and as he gets closer, he knows it's not a trick of the light or his own paranoia.

Someone is in the goddamn elevator.

It's moving, and while Kei could assume he's found the third person in the set of unlucky loners, he's almost positive it's Kuroo.

And this is the problem.

Kei's mood sours as he watches the elevator move and stop, working like any other day.

He takes his time walking there. Knowing Kuroo, he's not in any rush to check off the monument from his list of travels, he’ll stay at the top for a few hours at least. Plus...something tells Kei the other has been avoiding him too.

What better place to hide than atop the Eiffel Tower?

Too bad for Kuroo, when picking the perfect escape, Kei's mind had flashed with _France_.

Like fate; cruel, cruel fate.

And truthfully, Kei is tired of this. They've met purely on accident in over ten different places now. Why should they keep running?

Something or someone, maybe the devil, wants them to stay together, and Kei's stubbornness is running thin.

He can't do it anymore.

From Kouvala, Finland to fucking Boca Raton, Florida, they've met. Shockingly, the one place they never ran into each other was Japan, where they're both from.

But hey, Dublin wasn't off limits.

Then there was Victoria in Canada, some small town in Argentina, and even a chance encounter in Burbank, California which Kei hadn't planned at all. He'd been trying to get to Bakersfield for undisclosed reasons and well, he's not great with maps.

But still, Kuroo was there.

And he'll be there again, no matter where Kei goes, so he throws out the instinct to find the nearest boat or car.

He bites the bullet. He reaches the tower, and he calls the elevator down, finding some satisfaction in the loud beep it gives as a result. He smirks; he can see it now, Kuroo tensing in an instant once he realizes what Kei has.

They've done it again.

Except in this case, Kuroo can't escape. It makes the ride up less nerve wracking, and if Kei were the type, he'd dance from the pettiness of it all.

But a fifteen to twenty minute ride up is a long time, and the joy dissolves to reveal a hollowness Kei tries to avoid. The rickety elevator climbs, but other than that there's no noise, no movement. It's too small for Kei to effectively pace back and forth.

It's moments like these which remind him of the world he's in. His parents are gone, his brother...

His entire life was gone in an instant. The tests he'd been cramming for and the afterschool sports practices seem years behind him; the everyday stresses of the mundane so far away now.

As he gets higher up, the cityscape stretches out below him, empty.

And Kei is reminded of what he really is; he's not a cynical explorer, someone resigned to his life of solitude and confusion, never knowing the truth of it all.

He's like a little kid, constantly trying not to cry from how afraid he is, from how _lost_ he is. It's easy to brush off; he just hops on a boat, gets a car, takes the still running trains which have no conductor...

And it's all okay.

It's all okay even though it's really fucking not.

Really, that's probably why he's avoided Kuroo so much. If there's someone else who could even remotely understand how he feels...Kei would fall apart in front of them in seconds.

As much as he tries, he's bad at hiding.

He feels his chest expand with panting breaths, and swallows down the beginnings of an anxiety attack.

His hands tremble as he wraps his jacket around himself, and closing his eyes is the only remedy.

Like that, he can believe he's asleep.

Not searching, soaring, oblivious.

The elevator stops.

Kei's breath catches in his throat a little when he sees Kuroo; it's annoying, because he really does calm Kei down as much as he irritates him. There's something soft in those eyes whenever they look at him, despite the disbelief. The elevator doors don't open fast enough.

The first thing he hears is the chuckle, the voice so raspy from not having to talk to anyone for weeks at a time.

Kuroo's lips tilt up a little, like he can't help but grin, and Kei doesn't know whether to feel relief or dread.

Mostly, he wants to ask how Kuroo could possibly smile when things are like this. Kei hasn't smiled in over a year.

"You've got to be kidding me," Kuroo sighs, his worn out running shoes tapping nervously against the steel floor. It's nice, seeing Kuroo as uncomfortable yet willing as Kei himself is.

At this point, maybe Kuroo was just waiting for him too.

Kei spent way too long looking over his shoulder in Paris, waiting, watching.

Deep down, probably hoping.

"I'm the one who should be saying that," Kei says, but it comes out more as a whisper, small and fragile against the wind around them. He shivers, and Kuroo's smiles grows.

He gestures towards the viewing rails, and Kei realizes there's a giant comforter spread out on top of some mats.

Kuroo's been busy.

It's like a makeshift bed, all pillows taken from hotels and blankets ripped out of gift shops.

But it's the most comfortable looking thing Kei has seen in a long time.

And it's shockingly oversized, comically so, and Kei can't help but think Kuroo intentionally brought pillows for more than just himself.

But unfortunately, Kei's not quite that bold yet.

"Big blanket for just one person," he comments instead, and Kuroo sends him a knowing look that makes heat climb up the back of Kei's neck.

He settles in easily.

Even through the crisscrossed railing, the view is something off a postcard, but feels twice as unreal.

No movement, no sounds of traffic or roaring of streets. Just strips of green surrounded by a city that stretches on for miles. It's what some people dream of, a perk which comes with traveling the world with no responsibilities or obstacles.

Tsukishima only manages to stare at it for a few seconds out of obligation before turning to Kuroo. He's far more interesting.

He doesn't mean to sound snobby or ungrateful, but after so many trips alone, he's become rather desensitized to the wonders of the world.

Kuroo's the one thing which still alludes him. It's been a long time since he's simply stared at him like this.

The view never had a chance, and Kuroo is the first one to break the silence.

He winces as he spreads himself obnoxiously over the makeshift bed, his fingers kneading at the soft wool fabric like he's a cat. Nervous tick, Kei thinks, before realizing he's been picking at the blanket's fibers for a good five minutes. Kuroo opens his mouth and closes it again before he gets the words out, his face morphing like he's nauseated, and what he comes up with is not nearly as articulate as usual. "So...Burbank--"

Ah.

So they're getting right to the meat of things. Fine, had to happen at some point.

Kei's expression sours like a deflated balloon. "Burbank."

Just the memory makes his hackles rise, and Kuroo sits up in a frenzy, trying to put out the steadily building fire. "Listen, I'm sorry I got us lost in the mountains--"

Kei can tell it physically hurts him to apologize, but it makes him more annoyed rather than appreciative.

_"And?"_

Kuroo takes a deep breath, groaning. "_And_ I'm sorry I...was kind of a jerk," he forces out, and Kei thinks that's the end of it. It's never the case with Kuroo; the other's finger flies into Kei's face. "But _you_ weren't the nicest either."

"I'm never nice," Kei says with a laugh. "And we were lost for two days, I was allowed to be upset."

Burbank had been...the last chance they'd had to hash this all out, but it resulted in two days of mostly the silent treatment as they wandered through the California canyons.

Kei had never been so thankful for water in his life.

Kuroo's protests devolve into a sigh. "I guess that's believable," he says, his grin slightly smug. Kei can see the sharpness in Kuroo's eyes before it stabs him. "How did someone so cute get so mean?"

The heat climbs to his face in an instant, bringing him back to the closeness of Kuroo's face when they slept in a cave or the unfortunate sight of Kuroo jet skiing shirtless in the Caribbean.

"How did someone so good with words end up pissing me off so bad," Kei shoots back, but the blush stays, nowhere to hide.

Kuroo is more than satisfied with himself.

But with most things in their given situation, it doesn't last long. "Cut me some slack, I found out everyone was gone and....I had some moments."

Kuroo's wistful smile twists a little at the edges, and Kei lets the quiet settle into them both. This is the part about them he's no longer that reluctant to admit; Kuroo is the only one who understands him.

He knows what it's like to wake up in an empty house, scared and unsure, forced to leave home for the unknown.

If they'd stopped being so combative from the get-go, they would've been less alone from the start.

Sometimes those things can't be helped Kei guesses, but he's come to the decision that continuing the behavior isn't something he can stand anymore.

He doesn't want to.

The warmth he feels sitting next to Kuroo is only a small testament to that.

"I think you're allowed multiple moments when it's like this," he whispers, and the support is so foreign to him, it strengthens his blush. He means it though.

Kuroo tilts his head, scanning Kei up and down in that way, the one which makes Kei's heart backfire. "Oho, playing nice finally?"

But this time, he doesn't rise to the bait; that's one thing he's sure of. If he opens the door to...whatever this is, Kuroo will follow and vice versa.

It's simply how they work, even through all their attempts to make it seem otherwise.

"You're all I have," Kei says without hesitation, the weight of it hitting him at the same time Kuroo's eyes widen. The truth is funny like that. "I have to."

_I want to._

Kuroo drops his head to his knees, his breathing shaky. So emotional, so scared deep down.

"No you don't," Kuroo jokes, but the laugh comes out broken at best. "I'd still be all you have."

Ah, so it'll take more than just the implication with him. Kuroo has always loved words, confessions, _declarations_.

A flair for the dramatic.

Kei smiles; it's not as annoying as it used to be. "Then...I want to." It's different aloud than in his head, but no less honest.

Kuroo's eyes waver for a second, giving away so much...too much for Kei to process. He's not really sure how he even feels right now.

Good? Nostalgic? None of it makes sense, but Kuroo's eyes echo something deep and celestial and he can't look away.

If he caused that look, he won't take back anything.

Kuroo sighs, the gentle smile returning to him. "Then, I'm...glad you're all I have too."

And at that point, Kei guesses it's his turn to own up to something.

"Sorry for running away from you so much," he says, hugging his knees to his chest. Whatever he can do to hide his mouth and muffle the childish words.

Kuroo is kind enough to shrug. "Hey, I ran too. But you always found me."

"I wasn't trying to," Kei huffs. He's not afraid to admit it now, it's not like Kuroo didn't how bad Kei had been avoiding him. "Like...what was that one place? In Denmark? I really thought that would be a winner, and then who do I see lounging around by the docks..."

Kuroo's laugh is more like a cackle, he rocks back, his head to the starry sky. That's the nice thing about less cars, less emissions. Kei has to look away from his bared neck.

"I liked Denmark," Kuroo says, wiping a tear. "And I was there first, thank you very much."

"That can't be proven." Kei sniffs, but deep down he knows he's probably wrong.

Kuroo's hum is proof enough of it, and it's the first time they've smiled this long he thinks.

"We can go back if you want," Kuroo suggests, and Kei's heart beats treacherously fast. He hadn't really accounted for what would happen after they made up, that they'd be official travel partners.

Somehow, going to romantic places like Paris with Kuroo _willingly_ sounded a whole lot different.

"Well, we have time to see," Kei whispers, realizing how much he'd probably enjoy it.

Kuroo seems content with the answer, and he leans all the way back, his head hitting the soft pillows beneath him.

Content with watching the sky, Kei follows suit, and the silence is the most at peace he's felt in a world so empty.

Time slips from his grasp, but he's used to that by now. It's so hard to keep track when one doesn't need to. Time has turned into morning, noon or night. That's it.

Minutes might as well be hours, and with Kuroo next to him each one is blissful.

But of course, Kuroo can't stay quiet too long. He enjoys it, but the excitement of Kei there wins out, and Kei can feel him fidget.

It doesn't make him any more prepared for the question.

"I don't mean to be _that_ guy, but do you think this is the universe's weird way of saying we're soulmates?"

"You're _already_ hitting on me." Kei states it with the least amount of emotion he can, and hopes his blush can't be seen that well from this angle.

"What's the point in delaying the inevitable," Kuroo sighs, waving his hand around towards the sky. Even still, Kei can hear the nerves in his voice.

It's endearing, to say the least.

Kuroo turns on his side with a pout, watching Kei's face too intimately for Kei to ignore. He meets the gaze before he can think to stop himself. Kuroo smiles knowingly. "You're prickly yeah, but you're also smart and...fun to argue with."

Kei can't help but laugh; Kuroo's words somehow always fail him when it comes to Kei. He's a little proud of that.

But Kuroo doesn't stop. "You're also beautiful," he whispers, and Kei grips the comforter tight. "I mean that, in a non...hitting on you way."

The laughter is awkward, but genuine, and Kuroo kneads his bottom lip in worry. "A-And you always look too sad for your own good, which makes me sad too, because I want to fix it. And I can't. I can't even fix things for myself. I think that's why...I avoided you."

Kei doesn't know what to say; he didn't ask for the explanation, mostly because he didn't want to give one in return. He always assumed Kuroo would just connect his own dots, that he'd think Kei avoided him because they simply didn't get along or because Kei didn't want to acknowledge reality.

That was only part of it.

But here Kuroo is, offering up the last of their vulnerabilities. It doesn't scare Kei as much as he thought it would, but it tears him up in a different way, because for all he knows, this is how they'll always be.

Unsure, lost in the world, with no way of knowing why it all happened. He can't help Kuroo either, with all his book smarts and Kuroo's real world applications, they're in the dark.

But if they're together, maybe it's not so bad. The last thing Kuroo needs is to feel guilty for something neither of them have the power to do.

Kei swallows down the sorrow forming in his chest, playing with the undone threads of the blanket, and he lets his last confession go. "I avoided you because...you can tell how sad I am," he says with a frustrated huff._ Because I make you sad._

And somewhere along the way, Kei started to care.

Kuroo grins, like the dummy he is. "See? Soulmates."

Kei hits him with the nearest pillow.

_"Shut up."_

Still, he can't help but laugh along with him.

"That would be some kind of horror movie plot don't you think?" Kuroo says through his laughter, holding the weaponized pillow against his chest. "I mean, the world is _frozen. _If you were supposed to be my soulmate it's not like we'd be able to get married or meet our families or...do much of anything other than wander."

"Not a fan of extended honeymoons?" Kei jokes as best he can.

"Not lifelong ones."

Yeah. That'll never stop being a bummer. At least they're on the same page there.

"It does suck," Kei admits, staring at Kuroo as he thinks. It's better than squinting at nothing. "Maybe we're just...supposed to fix it?"

"We don't even know what caused it," Kuroo says, watching the cogs turn in Kei's head. "Though right now, my bet is honestly on aliens."

He can't even disagree, he's got nothing else either. And in truth, that was the first thing that came to Kei's head when it happened.

A mass alien abduction. Right.

"They forgot us," Kei says, like it's a true travesty.

Kuroo nods, flipping off the heavens above lazily. "Which like...rude, you know?"

"They didn't want to vivisect your body," Kei smirks. "You were an unideal specimen..."

"I'm the _most_ ideal specimen," Kuroo spreads himself in what he assumes is a model pose, but it just looks awkward and uncomfortable. Kei hates that it sort of works. "Look at me."

"See, point proven."

Seeing Kuroo deflate adds another year to his life, though he's not sure that's a good thing anymore.

Oh well, as long as Kuroo lives too.

"Maybe we caused it," Kuroo offers up. "That's why we're the only ones left."

Kei hums, skepticism bleeding through. "That doesn't make sense."

"I don't think _any_ part of this makes sense."

"Well then questioning it doesn't matter, does it?" Kei snaps, but regrets it immediately. He curls in on himself, but stays facing Kuroo, the comfort and warmth too delicious to ignore. He thought after all this time, he'd be less frustrated about all this.

He should've known better; as long as he's kept in the dark, he'll never be satisfied. But Kuroo is right, how would he ever make sense of something like this?

The other smiles at him, throwing his arm around Kei. It's heavy, like a log, and Kei files that joke away for later. He doesn't push Kuroo away though, in fact he moves closer.

And like he's always known deep down, Kuroo gets it, and doesn't blame him. "Stop worrying, you have me at least," he reminds, and Kei smiles.

"It doesn’t sound so bad now."

And rather than make another smartass comment, Kuroo watches the sleepiness in Kei's eyes replace the stress, and pulls the blanket over them both.

Kei dreams, and they’re nothing but pleasant.

He sleeps well that night, however long it is. The morning means nothing anymore, and when they pack up, the sun is high in the sky.

Kei looks out at the view one last time before they depart; the view is nicer now, much more meaningful than it was when he arrived.

Maybe they'll have to come back to Paris too.

When Kei turns to the elevator, Kuroo is waiting for him, the same lazy smirk on his face. "So, where to next?"

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! In my mind krtsk does indeed go back to Denmark, and also redeems Burbank while they're at it pft
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/itsloveuasshole)


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